Candidate Lashes Out Against Politics

On May 24, Kang Kum-sil, the mayoral candidate of the ruling Uri Party, said during a TV forum hosted by the National Election Broadcasting Debate Commission, “I feel deceived by the politics,” spawning many different interpretations of the remarks due to their unclear context.

Kang said, “If you chose a mayor for the candidate’s party, you would not see the problems of Seoul solved. You should not be deluded by existing parties; rather, you would be well advised to elect someone who is truly able and can deliver. I myself have felt deceived by the politics during the campaign period. The ruling party selected me as its mayoral candidate for Seoul, but I have disappointed the party. I am very sorry about that.”

On such remarks, some say that she was apologizing for lagging behind Oh Se-hun, the opposition candidate, by a large margin. Others say she was frustrated by her ephemeral popularity with the public. Still others say she was complaining about the unpopular ruling party, which put her at a disadvantage. Some even say that she is already minding her future political career after the coming local elections.

As to this, Oh Young-sik, the spokesman for candidate Kang, explained, “After she set foot into politics, Kang seems to be somewhat disillusioned with the party politics which pursue the interests of the party, not of the people.” Oh added, “I know that, based on such understanding, she started thinking about creating a new political order desired by the people.”

Meanwhile, Kang participated in a convention ceremony for full disclosure of apartment distribution costs on May 25. Given that the presidential office is opposed to the disclosure, her move is viewed as drawing a line between the ruling party and herself.

jin0619@donga.com